What would have happened if Congress had called on Major League Baseball to allow Pete Rose back into the game? As far flung as that scenario sounds, it was actually something that an Ohio congressman and Rose's former attorney worked on for weeks, according to interviews with those involved.

As ardent Democrats count the days until George W. Bush leaves office, many Republicans in Congress eagerly await the time when their 2008 nominee eclipses the president and, they hope, improves their re-election prospects.